Suppose you are a health-conscious woman in your 30s, 40s, or 50s. In that case, it is high time to think about the importance and benefits of vitamin D. It is essential for many bodily processes and is on the A-list for women because of its amazing benefits.
Vitamin D is not like most other vitamins. It is a steroid hormone produced from cholesterol when your body is exposed to sunlight. As a result, vitamin D is often termed the “sunshine vitamin.”
However, exposure to sunlight rarely provides sufficient vitamin D for women. Therefore, it becomes necessary to acquire it through food items or women’s health supplements.
What Is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which makes it easy to break down fats and oils. It can be stored for a longer time in your body.
There are two types of dietary forms:
- Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) – Found in animal products such as fatty fish and egg yolks.
- Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) – Found in a variety of plants, mushrooms, and yeasts.
D3 appears to be nearly twice as efficient as D2 at increasing vitamin D levels in the blood.
Symptoms Of Vitamin D Deficiency
One of the really common nutritional deficiencies in women is low vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D deficiency in women is a major health concern. The symptoms are generally subtle and may not show up for months or even years.
- Older women are at a much higher risk of deficiency.
- Those suffering from certain illnesses are also more likely to be deficient. According to one study, 96 percent of women who had heart problems were deficient in vitamin D.
- In older women, vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to osteoporosis, decreased mineral density, and a high risk of falls and fractures.
- Many studies show that women with low vitamin D levels are at a much higher risk of developing heart disease, diabetes (types 1 and 2), cancer, dementia, and immune disorders such as multiple sclerosis.
- Finally, women with vitamin D deficiency have a lower life expectancy.
However, it is ambiguous whether deficiency causes these ailments or whether women with low Vitamin D levels are simply more likely to develop them.
Causes Of Vitamin D Deficiency
Many factors can interfere with your ability to obtain adequate amounts of vitamin D from the sunlight alone. These elements are as follows:
- Being in a polluted environment
- Applying sunscreen
- More time spent indoors
- Living in a big city where buildings block the sun.
- Having darker skin tone. (The more melanin there is, the less vitamin D the skin can soak up.)
These factors contribute to a growing number of people suffering from vitamin D deficiency. That is why it is critical to get some of your vitamin D from sources other than sunlight.
Adult women with a vitamin D deficiency may experience the following symptoms:
- Exhaustion, aches and pains, and a general feeling of being unwell.
- Intense bone or muscle pain, lack of strength, difficulty in taking up the stairs, etc.
- Stress falls and fractures, particularly in the legs, pelvis, and hips.
If you have been diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency, you should ensure that you get enough vitamin D from sunlight and the food items you eat. In addition, you should look for the best vitamin D supplements for women.
Food Sources Of Vitamin D
Natural sources of vitamin D are scarce. As a result, some foods are fortified. This means that vitamin D is added to them.
Foods with vitamin D include:
- salmon
- sardines
- egg yolk
- shrimp
- milk
- cereal
- yogurt
- orange juice
It can be difficult to get enough vitamin D every day through direct sunlight and food alone. Therefore, in such cases, taking vitamin D supplements for women can be beneficial.
Potential Health Benefits Of Vitamin D For Women
Here are some potential vitamin D benefits:
- Lower risk of osteoporosis falls and fractures: Increased vitamin D levels can certainly assist older women in avoiding and easily recovering from osteoporosis, falls, and injuries.
- Boosts Strength: Vitamin D can boost physical strength in both the upper and lower limbs.
- May Help Prevent Cancer: Vitamin D benefits in the prevention of cancer. According to one study, taking 1,100 IU a day and calcium may lower cancer risk by 60%.
- Assists In Depression Treatment: Research suggests that vitamin D may alleviate symptoms in patients suffering from clinical depression.
- Reduced risk of type 1 diabetes: One study found that taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D each day reduced the risk of type 1 diabetes by 78%.
- Improved Mortality: According to some studies, vitamin D helps increase the mortality rate in people, implying that it may help you live longer.
Many of these findings, however, are preliminary. A recent review concluded that more evidence is needed to validate many of these positive effects.
Bottom Line
As you reach your mid-thirties, prevention becomes your best defense against age-related health problems. Thus, vitamin D plays an important role in keeping you strong, healthy, and positive.
